Willem de Kooning in East Hampton

This catalogue chronicles Willem de Kooning's move from New York City to what would be his final studio, located in the Springs, East Hampton, New York, and examines work produced from 1961 to 1978. Diane Waldman's essay draws a parallel between de Kooning and artists such as Jasper Johns and Marcel Duchamp, likening their struggle with tradition and pursuit of innovation to that felt by de Kooning himself. Throughout the catalogue, over one hundred images highlight de Kooning's paintings, drawings, and sculptures. Portraits of the artist at work, an extensive illustrated chronology, and a selected exhibition history and bibliography are also included.

Excerpt

De Kooning's contribution to drawing is as far-reaching as it has been to painting. His drawings and paintings are extremely close to each other in many respects. In fact, the drawings are often the starting point for the paintings. Often brutal, sometimes lyrical, the drawings are replete with the same frenzied brushstrokes of the paintings. In addition, de Kooning's preference for relatively small scale relates the size of the paintings to the drawings and makes the connections between them very apparent. Moreover his pre-1970 paintings partake as much of the linear qualities of drawing as do the drawings themselves, because his forms in each are carried by line.